Haug: Kovalainen was underestimated

That is the view of Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug, who thinks the partnership of the Finn and Lewis Hamilton will be very strong in 2008.

"I think Heikki was probably a little underestimated if you look at his track record," Haug told autosport.com. "His development was very impressive and he was on the podium in his first year of F1.

"He didn't have the best car to win races with, but he came home second once, so that is positive. I think we have a good line-up."

Kovalainen's new teammate Hamilton also thinks working with the Finn will be a very difference experience from his time with Fernando Alonso last year.

"You know how it is with some people," said Hamilton. "You ask them questions and they give you one word answers. With some people you need to make the conversation and some people are just easy.

"With Heikki I don't need to make the conversation, he is happy to start. And we just can talk for ages, and I think he has very similar views to me.

"He loves the car without traction control, he loves racing wheel-to-wheel, he loves the true spirit of racing, so with that it just makes everything that little bit simpler."

And he sees no downside to facing another driver on completely equal terms - despite the friction that situation caused last year with Alonso.

"For me it doesn't cause any problems. At the end of the day, you are given the same opportunity. I want to qualify on pole, Heikki wants to qualify on pole, and if he beats me I know he has done a better job.

"If he beats me then I want to understand why and then come back and try and beat him next time. We both have that same appreciation of how we are, and I honestly don't see there being any problems during the season."